North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered an 80-day “battle” across the country to boost the sluggish economy ahead of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s national congress in January.
According to an AFP report today, Kim Jong-un has ordered an 80-day “battle” to try to revive the economy before the party’s congress. The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and recent flooding have added to the already sluggish economy, according to official North Korean media, which said Kim made the decision at a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).
Mandatory collective mobilization orders are commonplace before major events in the DPRK, and people are often required to work extra long hours and given extra duties. Also, North Korea is accustomed to using militaristic terms and concepts related to struggle, and such mobilizations are often referred to as “battles. However, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) uses the term “battle” only in the Korean-language version of the report, but in the English-language version it is replaced by the more diplomatic term “campaign.
According to KCNA, “We made great efforts to accomplish the historic feat and bravely overcame the unprecedented great test and all kinds of difficulties this year, but we should not be complacent,” the official propaganda said. The official propaganda said, “We still face challenges that must not be taken lightly, and there are many goals that must be reached this year.”
According to Agence France-Presse, people’s participation in such “battles” is closely monitored as a measure of loyalty to the regime, but rights groups have in the past denounced similar political campaigns as forced labor.
Recent Comments